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Greek mythology: Who is Chronos?

the righteous revengeful son. It is at this point that the stories of the Olympian gods commence. Cronus was told of a prophecy that foretold that history was to repeat itself and that Cronus's own offspring would rise up against him. Cronus and Rhea went onto father Demeter, Hera, Hades, Hestia, Poseidon and Zeus. Rather than allowing them to pose a danger to him though he ensured that after each was born he ate them so that they would be prisoners within his stomach though. Just as the actions of Ouranos had angered Gaia, so the actions of Cronus angered Rhea.

So once Zeus was born rather than allowing him to be swallowed by Cronus, Rhea gave Cronus a large stone to swallow rather than her child. Zeus was hidden away in the Mount Ida cave on Crete. There he was raised at the hands of either a nymph known as Adamanthea, or a goat called Amalthea. Zeus was hidden away until he matured and was strong enough to seek his revenge.

Zeus knew he needed allies though so sought the release of his siblings from the stomach of Cronus. As such Cronus was given him a poison that made him regurgitate Demeter, Hera, Hades, Hestia and Poseidon

The prophecy of Cronus's downfall was to come true as the Titanomachy started. The Titanomachy was the fight between the Titans and the forces lead by Zeus. Cronus left much of the fighting of the ten year war to younger Titans, under the leadership of Atlas. In general terms the Titans were the stronger, but Zeus was clever enough to find himself allies. Zeus released the Cyclopes, Gigantes and Hecatonchires from Tartarus. The Hecatonchires were giants with fifty arms and a hundred eyes who were able to thrown whole mountains at the Titans. It was though the Cyclopes who played the major role in the battle, as it was they who forged the weapons for the Olympians. The thunderbolts of Zeus were created, with Arges creating the brightness, Brontes, the thunder and Steropes, the lightning. With the help and the weapons, Zeus and his siblings were ultimately successful in overthrowing the reign of the Titans.

After Zeus came to power there are few tales that tell of what happened to Cronus. Some tales tell that he was kept prisoner in Tartarus alongside the majority of other Titans, guarded by his own siblings the Hecatonchires. Some other tales tell that he was imprisoned alone in the cave if Nyx, a few other tales even tell that Cronus was forgiven by Zeus and made the King of the paradise realm of the Elysian Fields.

This redemption is also seen in the fact that Cronus was worshipped on the twelfth of each and every month by Athenians. This worship came from the association that was made between Cronus and good harvests as seen during the "Golden Age" of his rule. The Romans used Cronus as the model for Saturn, although Saturn has tended to be much more widely worshipped and seen as a more forgiving god.

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